The Eternal Winter IC 2

[AlanBruce]

@Alizarin: Maybe Raikou needs help.

Maybe not.

But too long have you been split from the others and who knows what dirty tricks Barbegazi has up his sleeve.

Your hands seem to move on their own as they form complex signs and the waters swirl and rise like a geyser as the humming song of your mother echoes through the cavern.

Unless Dante gets rid of his field, he won;t be able to go in, but the others can.

Bryceida waits for all to hop in, one after another and then looks at you and gives you a wink.

"Raisa would be proud, Alizarin...""

And so, Skerrit's Avenger hops into the clear waters and disappears, just as Eneas, Johann and presumably Dante did.

@The Party except Raikou: Unlike the dark swirling waters and amethyst motes, the clear waters of a flowing river are what propel you through the bowels of Krystalheim and you end up in an underground shadowy forest.

Eneas and Bryceida are the first to move through the thin cobwebs and stop shy of a few feet as you spot Raikou and Cyrus.

He's fine. Like you, he doesn't seem to have suffered any wounds whatsoever. But that woman...

@Johann: Fancy seeing her here. Anzaril the Fen Witch. She was a valuable ally back in Lugenheim and it would seem she's been captured by Barbegazi as well.

But they aren't exactly safe: Nereza Leomongloom, one of Barbegazi's bodyguards stands opposite the three of them as the glaistig turns around and her eyes widen with joy and then with a little fear as Bryceida looks at her.

"Johann! You made it here... and Bryceida?""

@Raikou: You have to end this shaedling now, but with Anzaril by your side, dealing the final blow should be very easy.

And then, the whole gang shows up, with a centaur maiden to boot.

The horse warrior woman looks at Anzaril with contempt as she readies her bow.

"Have you forgotten the deal, Anzaril?""

The glaistig shakes her head.

"No! No no no. You have it all wrong! I'm with them! Seriously! I was trapped here, like so many others and Raikou rescued me. That's the truth!""

Anzaril points to Nereza, who looks at all of you come in through the shadowy forest and then looks at Raikou and his crew.

"She's the one working for the jaebrin! Ask the others. They'll tell you! I'm not on her side.""

Anzaril sends you a telepathic message.


Raikou, that's Bryceida, a very militant Maera. And she really does not like the Unseelie. Even more than you, me and the others. I guess it's a good thing that she's here, but let us hope she doesn't get carried away.

@The Party: Nereza looks at all of you and and smiles.

"So Raikou, you had to call for help? Couldn't do it yourself? A coward just like Aurora.

As far as I was concerned, Dante should have been killed by Marbas. Zephyr ought to have slain the rest of you.

Those two were unfit to serve under Lord Barbegazi, so it falls upon me to send all of you to your final resting place.""

Map

Spoiler: Initiative

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Raikou & Cyrus
Nereza Lemongloom
Anzaril
Alizarin
Dante
Johann
Eneas
Bryceida

[Dudu]

"A follower of God Centaur Skerrit himself? A pleasure, Bryceida. Name is Dante, an inquisitor of Wee Jas, the Ruby Sorceress."

When the artist wizard hands him the omni pearl, he lowers the anti magic field who kept them alive for precious seconds.
He awaits Johann explain about the ring and saphires, with one remark.

""I'm Master Johann Crawford, wizard, painter and apparently leader of this group.(...)"

"Pffff... you wish, mage..."

With the Omni Pearl in hand, he ponders about what he could do with it.

Cryothanos, I owe so much to that devil.

He recovers the spell he uses to summon Cryothanos, and puts a trigger condition

Spoiler: actions

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Std to recover the SMA VII spell and cast it to be triggered once he says "Cryothanos, I call thee!"

Know this, Inquisitor, there will be no glory after all this struggle, for we face something worst than this foes. It is fate itself. In a world of material gods, of strenght and power, there's nothing that scares me more than fate. a destiny sealed so long ago that little is left to mortals like us but to be the pawns of the divinity. Kord teaches that to each her own glory, carefuly labored and crafted by the swing of the sword... this all, is beyond that.

"I know this feeling, my friend. But stay with us. Kord is, afterall, a god of challenges. Consider you biggest fear is fate, what challenge could be more daunting to you than defying fate itself? It's not up to me to ponder what are your god's plans for you, but it's time like these that you should consider the possibility, that your god isn't ignoring you, but giving you a great test, and a priviledge."

With the talk done, as well as the defriend his comrades made, Dante jumps into the water with the others.

"So Raikou, you had to call for help? Couldn't do it yourself? A coward just like Aurora.

As far as I was concerned, Dante should have been killed by Marbas. Zephyr ought to have slain the rest of you.

Those two were unfit to serve under Lord Barbegazi, so it falls upon me to send all of you to your final resting place."

"What you know about Aurora?"

Asks the worried Dante. Being merely dead is something you can fix, like Eveline who lies dead in the nondimensional haversack. But there are worse fates than that.

[AlanBruce]

@Dante: Bryceida looks at your holy symbol and your introduction as inquisitor to Wee Jas and gives the slightest of nods.

"A follower of a Goddess of Death here... appropriate, given how much of it we shall be partaking in.""

Of course, having Johann declare himself the group leader is not taken in the best of strides, but hell: of all assembled here, he's been running around these woods the longest.

He may not be the leader, but he has knowledge that none of you possess fully regarding the matter of these fey.

And with the Omni Pearl back to full power, you call recover the one spell to conjure forth Cryothanos back, should the need arise if and when you finally fight against Barbegazi.

And then you impart some wisdom to Eneas, stating that if Kord is the god of Challenge and Competition, this is surely the place for you to be.

For no greater challenge can exist at this point anywhere on Oerth.

And once you have been sent to another area and meet up with raikou, Cyrus and Anzaril, who fought alongside you and many others in Lugenheim, your attention is directed towards Nereza as she mentions Aurora.

The Shaedling smiles wickedly as she looks at you from the corner of her eye.

"So... you do care about her, don't you, Dante?

Aurora escaped my grasp awhile back, confident in her powers to teleport around Krystalheim in a vain attempt to meet up with his mortal master... you.

But now, the so called Voice of Barachiel cannot speak. She foolishly fought against Lord barbegazi and now, like so many others in Krystalheim, aurora, your beloved servant, is now his.

Forever trapped in an Amethyst Grave. You will never rescue her, Dante. None of you can.

Lord Barbegazi is far more powerful now than you could ever imagine... and yet, you insist on standing up against him.

Humans are so quick to rush to their deaths, it would seem.""

[Auranghzeb]

Eneas listens Dante I'll answer you my friend. But is not that important. I'll help you as long as you need me, or as long as I breathe.
Challenge? yes this is one. But when fate is closed and goddess involved men are pawns and there is no glory for the pawns. Puppets who are used to scenify a fight are still puppets.

Eneas finds Centaurs a sight. Splendid beasts, strong and wise. He greets the creature with a ancient poem he half heard on a fishermen tabern, sung by Darius the bard.

Tey are the centaurs. over the the plain. Felt by the mountains.
From afar shaped as the flood that falls; their hoofs are the air that awakens, the shivering of birch and bay leaves.

Greetings daughter of Quiron



Alizarin has opened the portal

lets help the halfling...

[Niwrad]

Raikou wakes to see Anzaril alive, healthy, and standing over him. Then he realizes that whatever wounds he had suffered from the evil Shaedling had vanished and that his rude twin had disappeared...

In addition, he finds himself filled with tremendous positive power, a very similar feeling to his fight back with the evil clown. The golden energy is so much that he can barely keep it contained.

What just happened...? I thought I was almost dead.

(in Auran) This whole place was filled with a golden light... And both of you were healed.

Huh... Well anyways. Glad to see you're up Lady Anzy. I could really use some help against this emo girl.

He turns to stare at Nereza and his expression hardens.

Keep blasting her with that wind Cyrus!

Spoiler: Thunder Wind Round 4?

Show

Cyrus uses move action to redirect.

Nereza needs to make fort save DC 26 or take (14d4+10)[47] electricity and 5 sonic damage;
if damaged, she needs to make fort save DC 26 or be stunned for 1 round

Map with wind

Before he casts anything himself, he sees the arrival of Eneas and Dante and hears several others still behind the corner.
He then holds off on doing any more magic to see what the others would do.

PONY!!

Hey guys! You're missing out on the fun. You may have had it easy against a little halfling like me, but against the rest of these guys, and a pony... lady.... ? You're screwed.

And to Anzaril.

I mean, I guess most people wouldn't like unseelie when they're the ones causing this perpetual winter wonderland. But good to know she's on our side though.
How did she get here? Was she another of Barbigay's victims?

[Chimaera]

"Anzaril is one of the keepers of the Verenestrian Pact, Bryceida. An Unseelie Ambassador and she's fighting alongside us to fix the pact, which has gone missing", Johann explain to the centaur, "It was due the ring and the missing stag that this whole thing war began".

He look at Lemongloom and greet her.
"Ah, yes. He sure is powerful and have all winning cards. That must be why he ran away a moment ago from us. I believe it was to change his pants".

[AlanBruce]

@Eneas: So this must be one of the true Champions of the Summer Court, the fabled centaurs of legend.

Bryceida listens to your song and looks at you as the others head into the portal as she stands before you, tall and proud, truly a herald of Skerrit.

We Maera have acute smell. Even showered in blood, you carry the song of the ocean with you, am I right:

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking,

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.



Bryceida seems to chant this by heart as she smiles and motions for you to head to the portal.

"An old song taught by a friend that I can only hope you will be meeting soon.""


@Raikou: Anzaril lets go of your hand and looks at the shaedling across the cavern.

"Lady Anzy? But that's not my name...""

Little time for introductions as Cyrus blasts Nereza once more, but again, the Shaedling manages to twirl in place like a shadow ballerina as the winds are diverted around her.

"You really are slow, Raikou: A trick once used upon me cannot be used again.""

And that's when the cavalry arrives. Literally, with a horse maiden.

Bryceida raises an eyebrow as you blurt out the very first word fitting for her and she looks at Johann.

"Did that halfling call me a pony???""

Anzaril watches her come in with the rest and replies back through the mental link.

No. She could never be trapped by Barbegazi. Bryceida is one of the original warriors against the First Eternal Winter. A proud and very strong fey... with a very short temper.

But she is on our side. At least yours.

@The Party: Nereza looks at everyone assembled and then at the crystal portal nearby.

"It would be stupid of me to fight all of you at once now. Your life is spared, Raikou. If only for a few minutes.""

The dark pixie is fast as she disappears amidst the shadows and reappears above the swirling black portal.

"Don't bet on getting so lucky next time! And as for you, Johann: don't be so confident in your victory. Lord Barbegazi hasn't even begun to show his full power. You will regret those words, mage!""

And just like that, Nereza dives into the portal and disappears.

@Johann: Bryceida walks towards the portal Nereza escaped from and looks at Anzaril from the corner of her eye.

"I know about the Verenestrian Pact, Johann. I was there when it was signed.

I also know that one Unseelie decided to stay behind. My suspicions back then was that such an ambassador was set here as a spy...""

Anzaril rolls her eyes at the proud warrior's comment.

"Look, I get it: you don't like me. You think I was left as a mole of sorts, but the truth, I never took interest in her war. Not then, at least...""

Bryceida looks around, trying to find Alizarin, who has gone invisible.

"The words of the ruler of Lugenheim, Hall of Lies... you live up to your lofty title, Anzaril, but I must remind you that your tricks will not work on me.""

The glaistig looks up to the ceiling and raises.

"Bryceida: my home is not in Lugenheim anymore. Ask Johann and Dante: I helped them depose of the new ruler appointed by Windemere.""

Skerrit's Avenger ignores Anzaril's words as she gallops towards the dark portal.

"Your actions will determine if what you say is true. Alizarin, we have another portal and ally to call forth.""

[WindStruck]

With the (apparent) threat of battle gone, Alizarin appears again, but he dallies just a little, talking as he slowly flew by. "Raikou, you were here before we arrived. Is what she says true? She was trapped in a crystal as well? ...not part of some stupid ambush when we got separated?"

If what the woman said was true, he'd find it extremely hard to believe that she was particularly against them. First, fighting along side with Johann before, deeds already proving the case. Now being trapped in a crystal by Barbegazi. Could it all be part of some unbelievably insidious machination? Well, anything was possible. But there was no way Barbegazi could pull it off to work out just this way...

Once he got to the portal, he relit the lantern again. For some reason the light did seem to help a little. He also took a good look around the environment first. It seemed the area in the immediate vicinity around the gates held secrets which would help unlock them as well.

Spoiler

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spot: (1d20+10)[17]
search: (1d20+10)[11]
disable device: (1d20+9)[19]

"Alright guys, like before, this will probably take a while. I'd appreciate if you watched my back," the pixie said grinning. "We could try and find Mr. Lacore next, but I wouldn't advise jumping in this thing right now, since I can't direct it yet." With that he began to do what he could to open this gate.

Spoiler: ooc

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Since this will take some time in game, maybe everyone could take this time to chat a little?

[AlanBruce]

@Alizarin: The white haired Anzaril watches you unveil to everybody and raises an eyebrow.

"A pixie all the way down here? I thought Gigglemug was with Uwellyn... who's this one? I have not seen him before.""

You may not have seen her either, but you have heard tales about Anzaril as a child.

The Fen Witch.

The Lady of the Lake.

She who lures Men into the Depths.

A cautionary tale of old, like many others, to keep young pixies like you from wandering too far and too deep into the unknown reaches of the Fey Woods.

Of course, you left your sylvan home at a young age, but the old folk tales remain. If she is the very same one that you heard about as a child, it would make Anzaril very ancient indeed. And very powerful as well.

If only you knew what she can actually do...

Bryceida stands close to you and readies her bow as she looks at the crystal trees around her, with the cobwebs tangling around her antlers.

"You will not be distracted from your task, Gatekeeper. I shall watch for any treachery that may befall you.""

Anzaril stands beside Skerrit's Avenger and crosses her arms.

"You aren't the only Guardian now, Bryceida. Alizarin, is it? Do what you need to do.""

With everyone now on high alert, you take out your lantern and can see, only for your eyes, another crude crystal spike piercing the portal Nereza leapt into.

And also, you can see a pattern on the ground... they look like waves. Stylized and covered in amethyst shards.

But once you have opened this portal and another ally comes forth, who should you go find?

Anzaril is quick to respond.

"Lacore? Steiner Lacore? Raikou mentioned him. If you can find him, we'll have some much needed help.""

Bryceida looks down at Anzaril and raises an eyebrow.

"Whose Steiner? I do not recall him from the war.""

"Because he wasn't born then. He's a human. A mage, like Johann. And very talented too.""

Bryceida looks at the entire group as you get to work and sighs.

"I would not have expected a thousand years to bring about so much change...""

Anzaril chuckles and looks up at her.

"What did you expect? A thousand years is not that long of a time. Men were already walking on two legs and waging wars of their own while we fought here.

A lot has changed since, Bryceida...and not all for the worse.""

This pattern is a bit trickier to unravel, unlike the one where Bryceida came out of, but if you take your time and...

And it is then that the dark sigils of the Unseelie on the begin to dance around the dark crystal spike and the voices of allies old and new seem distant as the cavern around you alights in blue skies and the smell of spring as tall green oaks tower above you and soft prairies extend for miles as a pair of silhouettes dance around a circle and call out your name.

Come with us, child!

We miss you so much, my precious Alizarin. Join us in our dance and forget the woes of such war, that brings naught but Sorrow and Woe.

It's that scent... that's your mother!

She's alive! She and your father are both alive... you know it to be true!

And what is better than a mother's embrace?

Spoiler: Alizarin's Repose

Show

Roll a will save

[WindStruck]

Alizarin's eyes seem to glaze over as he sees this new environment. What happened? Did the gate... Mom! Dad!

The pixie's progress faultered as he seemed to start staring at nothing... and then...

Spoiler: save

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(1d20+15)[22]

Alizarin should be immune to compulsions, but if we are going to handwave that and this is some kind of compulsion, add a +4 morale bonus to this roll.

[AlanBruce]

@Alizarin: The shadows of the crystal cavern are washed away by a very real spring breeze as the tall trees of your sylvan home are rocked gently by the wind.

Your mind has been trained against Mind Control. That will never be broken. No matter how many worlds and pantheons fall.

But this is different. This isn't mind control. This is very real. The wind in your face. The leaves brushing against your wings.

The shadows of your parents as the sun sets behind them on the faerie ring just a few feet away.

Come join us! We have missed you so much...

Spoiler: Alizarin's Invitation

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Roll a Charisma check DC 23

@The Party except Alizarin: Something's odd...

The pixie is not using his lantern and fluttering about like he did the last time.

He's gently descending towards the black swirling vortex! Is he planning to ditch you?